Wheeled toy



Patented Nov. l?, i923.

teaser PATENT OFFICE.

CARL v. PoHLsoN, or PAwTUoKn'r, RHODE ISLAND.

WHEELED mov.

Application filed "February 24,1925. Serial' No. 11,133.

e YThis invention relates to an improved construction of wheeled toy of the character to simulate in a general way an imaginary form of reptile attractive to small children; and the object of this invention is to provide a device of this character having a body so flexible that it will permit a life-like effect to the body while being drawn over a rough surface such as a rug, sidewalk or the like, and will yield in any direction upon coming in contact with obstacles such as chairs, tables and Vthe'like, suiciently to automatically release itself from the same and also Vto provide a body which may be bent or folc ed into any desired form without pos- Sibility of breaking or injuring the same.

A further object of -this invention is to 'form a connector between the head and tail members of the device, of a flexible cord such as cotton cord or the like, which is very strong and yet will permit free universal motion and will not deteriorate rapidly with age and on which a series of body members are strung of a shape to simulate the scaled body of a reptile.

A further object of this invention is to form the connecting member between the head and the tail sections of the reptile so flexible as to permit the body sections to drag upon the ground and in this respect more closely simulate reptiles of the alligator species, thus causing the body to wiggle or move about as it is dragged along.

A still further object of the invention is to set the wheels at an angle lto the axis of the axle so as to makethe. body wabble about or wiggle and take on the life-like movements of reptile.

lith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of' certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Y

Inthe accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top view of the device.

Figure 2 is ya. horizontal sectional view of the same. i

Figure 3 is. a Side elevation showing the wheels of one set removed, illustrating the body sections of 'the toy betweenthe forward and rear wheels as resting upon the ground.

v Figure 4l is a detail of one of the end body members showing the extendin fastening plug for securing one end of te cord in the head member.v

Figure 5 is asection on line 5-5 of Figure 1 through one of the axles and the wheels mounted thereon. y

Figure 6 is a view of the axle showing the wheel set on an angle thereto and parallel ,with each 'other to cause a wiggling movement to the body. y

Figure 7 is aview of the axle showing the Wheels set thereon on converging angles.

It is found inv the-practical construction and operation of a wheeled toy of this character, of advantage to provide separate head and tail members, eachhaving a transverse bore through which the axle receives a central .bearing and on the ends 0f which are mounted the wheels. The head member of the toy is longitudinally bored for thereception of a drag cord, and these head and tail members are joined together by a connecting member, the opposite ends'o'f which are con'nectedin sockets in the head and tail ymember of the device, and it is also found of advantage to form this flexible connector member of a cotton cord but it may be made of other suitable flexible materials, and on this cord a series of body sections are strung to simulate the scaled body of a reptile, the connecting member being of such flexibility as to permit the parts to twist, turn or yield in any direction and the wheels may beset at anangle to the axis of the axle to cause .the body to' take 0n a life-like wiggling movement when being drawn about, and by the use of such a flexible connector `the wheels or other parts. when engaging a chair or other obstacle will readily bend or yield to such an extent as to easily' disengage itself and.v .so ivi-wentV anyance 1:@- the playing child; and the following is a detailed description of the present embodiment of my invention showing one construction of wheeled toy by which these advantages may be accomplished:

Vith reference to the drawings, 10 designates the head member of the toy which is provided with a longitudinal bore 11 through the head for the reception of the pull string 12, the inner' end 13 of this bore being enlarged as at 111 to receive the knotted end 15 of this string; crossing the enlarged portion of this longitudinal bore is a transverse bore 16 through which the forward axle 17 extends and is loosely journaled therein. To the opposite ends of this axle are fixed the wheels 18 and spacing beads 19 are loosely mounted on the axle between the wheel and the bearing to hold the axle in properly spaced operating position in its bearing in the head member.

The tail member 20 is also provided intermediate its ends with a transverse bore 21 in which an axle 22 is journaled, the ends of this axle being secured to wheels 23 and these wheels are spaced from the central bearing by means of spacing beads 24.

The inner end of this tail member is provided with a bore for the reception of one end of the flexible connector cord 26, the same being secured therein by means of a pin 27, glue or other fastening, and the opposite end of this connector is secured at 28 in the inner end of the bore 14 of the head member, in any suitable way, but I have herein shown the same as being bound in position in this bore by the hub section 29 of the first body section 30. A pin 31 being also driven through this hub of the body section and the connector to further assist in retaining the whole in position. This connector 26 may be formed of cotton cord in double form and on this cord I have strung a series of body members 33 which are concave-convex in form and nest somewhat one intor the other being slightly spaced apart from nesting deeply together by means of the spacing members 34 in each cup. These body sections by being` in this general shape serve to cause the toy to simulate to an extent a crocodile or other reptile in its general appearance and also having scales similar to the body of a snake.

By the use of this very flexible or yieldable connector or vertebra for supporting the series of body sections of the toy, the body is largely supported upon the surface or floor over which the wheels run. By forming the connector of a cotton cord or the like, it lends itself very readily to any twisting or wiggling action and permits the body to be very readily bent when one of the wheels mayengage an obstacle as a chair or the like and by such bending action readily disengage itself from such ly towards the construction illustrated, but

I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A toy vehicle comprising spaced wheelcarrying axles, a flexible element extending between said axles, concavo-convex body sections strung on said element forming a body simulating the scales of a reptile and spacing members intermediate the body sections.

2. A wheeled toy comprising spaced wheel-carrying axles, a flexible elementextending between said axles, concavo-convex body sections loosely strung on said element, spacing members intermediate the body sections, the convex surface of one of said sections extending into the concaved portion of the adjacent section whereby the body is formed simulating the scaled body of a reptile.

3. A wheeled toy comprising spaced wheel-carrying axles, a flexible element extending between said axles, concavo-convex body sections loosely strung on said element, spacing members intermediate the body sections, the convex surface of one of said sections extending into the concaved portion of the adjacent section, and spacer members of a diameter less than that of said sections strung on said cord between said sections, whereby a freely-flexing body portion is formed. Y

Ll. A wheeled toy having head, body and tail members, said head and tail members being each supported on an axle mounted on wheels, an elongated flexible vertebra or connector extending between said head and tail members, a set of nesting cup-shaped body sections strung on said connector to simulate the scaled body of a reptile and spacing members intermediate the body sections.

5. A wheeled toy having head, body and tail members, said head and tail members each having a transverse bore intermediate its ends, an axle extending through the bore of each, wheels on said axles, and a flexible connector of a length less than the distance.

between said axles having its end fastened to the .limer ends et the head and. tail members, and :L series of body sections loosely tending through said longitudinal bore havstrung on said connector. ing an enlarged lportion on its inner end for 10 6. A Wheeled toy Comprising a head, tail engaging said shoulder, and a Wheel carryund body portion, said head having a trans* ing axle extending through said transverse 5 verse and a longitudinal crossing bore therebore.

through, said longitudinal bore being en- In testimony whereof I affix my signalarged at a point just forward of the crossture. v

ing to provide a shoulder, a drag cord eX- CARL V. POHLSON. 

